Bacon-Wrapped Chicken & Peppers

I tend to experience fluctuating levels of kitchen ambitions. Some weeks I cook and clean every day, sometimes multiple times in the day. Other weeks I wish my steel cut oats would cook itself… then I think, “oh I should have used the slow cooker.” But then I would think, “I wish my slow cooker would clean itself.” That is kind of how I am feeling this week. Highly unmotivated in the kitchen area of the home. I will blame it on my low amounts of sleep due to increased tossing and turning at night with this belly. Speaking of belly…

32 Weeks!

So I’ve learned to keep previously cooked recipes “on the back burner” for weeks like this (hey that’s kind of a pun, right??). This recipe’s final picture was posted to my Instagram (follow me if you’d like – magan318) over a month ago, but I never got around to making a blog post about it. Well, lucky for me (and you) because today is now that day! As this combination would be a perfect finger food/appetizer for a party, I probably should have posted this recipe sooner while all the seasoned bloggers were posting about Super Bowl. But I didn’t, and you will have it now for the future. And although it could make a great finger food, the husband and I like to eat it as the main attraction to our dinner (or whatever meal) plate of food.

Bacon-wrapped Chicken & Peppers

You have options here btw. The husband likes when I make this combo spicy by using jalapenos, but I’ve also used more mild poblano peppers (as you will see in this recipe below) and sweet bell peppers. That is all up to you and the audience for which you’re choosing to create this.

Bacon-Wrapped Chicken & Peppers

1.5 lbs Chicken Breast

3 Jalapenos

1 Poblano Pepper (or 3-4 additional jalapenos)

10 Slices Bacon, cut in half, nitrate free

Garlic Powder

Cayenne Pepper Powder (optional for additional spice)

Step 1: PREHEAT & CUT THE MEAT. Preheat your oven to 350F and prepare a baking sheet topped with foil. Rinse your chicken breasts and place them on a medium sized cutting board. Cut the chicken into slivers approximately 1in x 2in. Then next to the pile of chopped chicken slivers, cut your bacon slices in half and set them there for future preparation requirements.

Step 2: PREP THE PEPS. Rinse your peppers (whichever combination you’re choosing to use) and set them on a separate cutting board from the meat. Then chop your peppers into slivers similar to those of your chicken, maybe a little smaller (depending on their size, I could usually get about 4 slivers per each jalapeno, sometimes more). You can’t really mess up on this as your bacon will eventually wrap it all together.

Step 3: WRAP. PLACE. SPRINKLE. Assemble your pepper and meat concoction. Grab a pepper sliver, place your chicken sliver on top, wrap your bacon slice around so that the two ends are under the pepper. Then place this on your baking sheet, one next to the other. They might try to unwind a tad – don’t be afraid to man handle them a little to make them stay in place – try using a toothpick if you’re really having issues, but I don’t usually have to. Also, you don’t want them to be piled on top of each other, or really touching for that matter, but minimal separation between bacon wrapped combos will do the trick. Once you have all your little buddies on the baking sheet and ready to go, feel free to sprinkle some garlic powder and/or cayenne pepper powder for extra seasoning. The cayenne makes it spicy so be careful!

I only sprinkled cayenne on half of them

Step 4: BAKE. Throw them in the oven for 40 mins and enjoy!

Bacon-wrapped Chicken & Peppers

Extra side note: The husband and I had some leftovers that I chose to slice up the next morning and reheat on our skillet. Then I topped it with an over easy egg. Yummmm. BREAKFAST IS SERVED.